Optical disks recording moving image (video) data and audio data attract attention as a recording medium. The optical disks are used not only as media of contents commodities, such as movies, but also as write media allowing users to write data thereon. Known as standards of the write media are DVD-R standards that permit data to be recorded in the same region one time only, and DVD-RW standards that permit data to be written repeatedly. Known as a file format of the optical media is the DVD-Video standard for replay-only disk. A write operation in compliance with the DVD-Video standard can be performed on even the write media.
In accordance with the DVD-Video standard, a maximum of 99 titles can be recorded on a per disk basis. Each title can contain a maximum of 99 chapters (PTT: Part of TiTle). When a recording operation is performed on each of the DVD-R and the DVD-RW using a camcorder (for camera and recorder), a single record unit from the start of recording to the end of the recording is recorded as a chapter. The data is thus recorded under the same title until a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition to end the title is satisfied, for example, when a disk is ejected (discharged), when 99 chapters are reached under the same title, when 99 cells are reached under the same title, or when a recording mode is shifted from moving image recording to still image recording.
When the data recorded by the unit of chapter is played back, a slight gap takes place between chapters, and an image displayed appears momentarily interrupted. The record unit of the camcorder ranges typically from dozens of seconds to several tens of seconds, and playback interrupted at each connection between the record units is not preferable.
Seamless connection techniques for connecting video streams in a seamless manner have been proposed (for example, Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. 9-163300 (FIG. 1)).
In accordance with the disclosed technique, discrete images, each not reaching a minimum edit unit, are first moved to and collected on a semiconductor memory in order to play back images distributed over a plurality of different locations on an optical disk, and the discrete images thus collected are transferred to a new recording region on the optical disk. In this way, the minimum edit unit that permits seamless playback is established.
If a new recording region is set up as in the disclosed technique, data is stored on the optical disk in a duplicate manner, leading to a low recording efficiency. In particular, when data are recorded by chapter, the number of connection points in need of seamless connection is large, and it is unrealistic to set up recording regions for all connection points.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a record control apparatus that produce a video object having a size sufficient to perform seamless connection between chapters.